Amazing Melbourne

My friends are finding it a little hard to keep up with whether i'm in melbourne or the sunshine coast lately, and rightly so. i've been back and forwards so many times it's ridiculous. as i write this, i'm on the (not so sunny) sunshine coast.
i'm loving melbourne and am working towards spending more time down there and leaving sarah (and mum) in charge of the coast side of things. Rebekah and i have a groovy warehouse office space in kensington which we share with a bunch of other amazing creative people. (and while i'm at it, i'll apologise now for the 'creative' lack of capitals in my typing.)

On the 5 minute walk from macaulay train station to the office i'm treated with this wonderful array of roses and adorable architecture, both of which are pretty rare on the sunny coast so it's a real novelty to me! once again, these are snapped on the trusty iphone but i'm tempted to break out the pro camera and get some 'real' shots because it's all so beautiful.

This year has been one of growth and learning, both personally and in business (as are most years i suppose, but this one a designated year). i've done as many workshops and seminars as i could find the time and money for, such as the Nikon AIPP Event.  earlier in the year i agonised a little too long over one i really wanted to go to at the end of the year because i was concerned about the cost. i finally made the decision and went to book it, only to find out i'd missed out as it was booked out. :(  but then, a couple of weeks ago, i received an email saying someone was unable to go and i could buy their spot. this created quite a dilemma because firstly, i hadn't budgeted for it by then, secondly, the workshop was in melbourne and i was booked to be in qld at that time. should i go or not? well, anyone who's been to a jesh de rox workshop will understand that trusting what your heart is telling you is the right way to go, so i emptied my piggy bank, split my time in qld and spent an amazing week at the 'life {as an artform}' workshop. this workshop so closely fits in with the direction i'll be taking with my work in melbourne that i now have no reservations that i'm on the right path. you'll have to wait til next year to find out more about what i'll be doing, but i'm excited about it! oh, and i ended up saving money on the workshop because of the exchange rate. bonus!

also in the week of the workshop, i moved into this groovy house in carlton north which will be my melbourne home. then i flew back to the coast, as i'd scheduled work around going to joey's end of year gala awards night which was so awesome last year  and so important for joey, i wouldn't have missed it for the world. unfortunately, joey was with his father that weekend and he chose for joey not to go. but that's a whole other story!!!

Cheerio

Deb

Spring Goodness

I took a 10 minute break today and wandered around the garden to see what Spring had sprung. I even broke out the real camera instead of the iPhone so I could share some flowery goodness. In various nooks and corners I discovered new inhabitants in my garden, a santa clad gnome in the back garden, a duck peaking through some shrubbery, a naked lady basking in the front garden, a Dachshund lurking in the succulents (oh wait, the Dachsy is the only one living!). These ornaments arrived earlier this year along with my mother, Lyndell, who I realise I have not introduced as the other new face of Wild Honey Photography. She fills in the gaps between Sarah and I by answering phones, running errands and being here when orders are collected and generally keeping the place looking spic and span. So our little hive is buzzing with activity, inside the studio and out.

Speaking of flowers and family, if you want to see a flower a day from Toowoomba's lovely gardens, check out my brother's blog .

PS. At least three of the flower photos below were photographed last week on the iPhone. Can you guess which ones?

It's the simple things ...

not to mention the free things, that help you stop and appreciate the moment.


Gratitude: walking through the park at the end of my street with my dog of a morning. Admiring the myriad Grevilleas and Callistemons bursting with blooms, and the rainbow lorikeets noisily feasting on their colourful smorgasbord.

(Straight from iPhone to you. No editing, cropping, processing, adjusting, tweaking or fiddling. How very liberating it is to shoot and show. Although I may have to break out the good gear to get a shot of the rainbow lorikeets.)

Spot the departing Lorikeet

Beauty in nature

My favourite places are National Parks, Botanic Gardens, Mountains and Rainforests.
I went for a walk through Ben Bennet Park yesterday and caught the early morning sun shining on these two. I find much pleasure in the simple things in life, like this. It's free, it's available to all and, bonus for me, it's walking distance from my house.

GIrraween

I was fortunate to be able to spend a few days with a friend in the cutest little cottage in the Granite Belt last week. Going to Girraween National Park has been on my "To Do" list for a long time and the opportunity to go in Spring to photograph the wildflowers was an absolute bonus.



Just up the road from Girraween, Wisteria Cottages exceeded my expectations and you simply have to experience the Brekky basket and fresh bread each morning to truly appreciate it.

My favourite flower

Cosmos.

Beautiful in its simplicity

Whimsical